The knocking was rhythmic and cautious, completely out of place in such a noisy environment.
Chen Liang stopped munching on his melon, Wang Meng put down his wine glass, and even the three hostesses looked toward the door with curiosity.
"Come in," Fang Ming said indifferently.
The door was pushed open, and Gu Qinghe walked in.
She smoothed out her slightly wrinkled professional skirt and tightly clutched the contract in her hand. The flush on her face was even deeper than before, as the alcohol was clearly starting to take effect.
The moment she appeared, the air in the private booth seemed to fall silent for a heartbeat.
Her dignified and intellectual aura, even with its hint of distress, instantly outshone the heavily made-up and scantily clad hostesses in the room.
The hostesses exchanged glances filled with hostility and curiosity, whispering, "Is this the beauty Brother Meng was talking about?"
"Tsk, she's dressed like she's selling insurance. What's so great about that..."
Gu Qinghe ignored their strange looks.
She forced herself to stand tall, not wanting anyone to see her weakness. Her gaze scanned the crowd of party-goers and locked onto Fang Ming in the corner.
"Mr. Fang... hello!"
Gu Qinghe had heard Zhu Dahai call him Master Fang earlier, so she knew his surname was Fang. "Just now... thank you so much. If you hadn't stepped in, not only would I have failed to get the contract, I might not have even been able to walk out of there."
Fang Ming looked at her, his expression still calm, and pointed to an empty seat nearby. "It was nothing. No need to be polite. Sit."
Gu Qinghe hesitated, looking at the hostess flirting with Wang Meng on the sofa next to her, then at the mess on the table. She eventually walked over and sat on the corner of the sofa opposite Fang Ming.
The leather sofa was very soft. The moment she sat down, her dizziness intensified. She had to take a deep breath and grip her knees tightly to stay conscious.
"Whether it was 'nothing' to you or not, to me, it was a life-saving kindness."
Gu Qinghe looked at the dazzling array of imported liquors on the table. Gritting her teeth, she reached for a clean glass, her hand trembling as she prepared to pour a bottle of whisky.
"I don't have much money on me and can't afford anything too nice, so I can only use what's here to offer you a drink as a small token of my appreciation!"
Her hand was shaking, and some of the amber liquid splashed onto the table.
A nearby hostess couldn't stand it anymore and sneered sarcastically, "Oh my, beauty, this liquor is very strong. Can a little thing like you handle it?"
Gu Qinghe ignored her, raised the glass, and was about to tilt her head back to drink.
Suddenly, a hand reached out and firmly pressed down on the rim of her glass.
The hand was long and slender with well-defined knuckles, carrying a faint scent of tobacco and an air of undeniable authority.
"That's enough."
Fang Ming's exasperated voice sounded in her ear. "You're already this sick and you're still drinking? Do you have a death wish?"
The private booth fell silent instantly.
Wang Meng stopped laughing, and the hostesses shut their mouths, watching the scene in surprise.
This cold-looking Master Fang was actually meddling in someone else's business?
Gu Qinghe was stunned.
Her large, slightly dazed eyes stared blankly at Fang Ming. She instinctively wanted to argue, but found her throat blocked, and her eyes grew hot.
"How... how did you know I was sick?"
She had specifically applied a thick layer of foundation before leaving. Other than her face being a bit red, it shouldn't have been noticeable.
Moreover, she was a complete stranger to him. Even though he had helped her in Zhu Dahai's room, his attitude had been very cold, as if he were treating her like a mere passerby.
Why was he being so... concerned now?
Fang Ming snatched an unopened bottle of mineral water from Wang Meng, twisted off the cap with one hand, and handed it to Gu Qinghe. He then took the glass of whisky and poured it directly into the trash can.
"Drink water."
Fang Ming leaned back on the sofa, crossing his legs. Seeing the confusion in Gu Qinghe's eyes, he stopped being cryptic.
"Of course I know. Not only do I know you're sick, I also know you have a younger brother named Gu Bai who will be in his final year of high school next semester and has very good grades, right?"
Boom!
The water bottle in Gu Qinghe's hand nearly fell to the floor. Some water splashed out, landing on her professional skirt.
Her eyes widened, and she looked at the man before her—who looked like a refined scoundrel—with her mouth slightly agape.
"You... you know Xiao Bai?!"
This was a hundred times more shocking to her than when Fang Ming had scared off Zhu Dahai.
She knew her brother best. He usually stayed indoors, doing nothing but study. He was incredibly introverted, and their family was dirt poor.
How could he possibly know someone like Fang Ming, who clearly had influence in both the underworld and the legitimate world—a big shot to whom even Zhu Dahai had to bow and scrape?
And from Fang Ming's tone, it sounded like they were quite familiar?
Fang Ming lied without blinking, his finger lightly tapping his knee. "He begged me to come here today. Otherwise, we're strangers; why would I offend a mangy dog like Zhu Dahai for your sake?"
Gu Qinghe was completely stunned. Her eyes turned red at a visible rate, and tears welled up.
So it was Xiao Bai... that silly brother who usually only asked her for living expenses and didn't even dare to speak loudly when he was sick, was actually worrying about her in secret.
He even went to beg a big shot like this for her sake.
A warm current mixed with bitterness surged into her heart, causing her strong exterior to instantly crumble.
"Thank you... thank you so much..."
Gu Qinghe gripped the water bottle tightly, her voice choked with emotion as tears finally fell.
It turned out her brother was no longer the child in her memory. He had grown up; he had truly grown up.
Seeing this, the hostesses nearby stopped laughing, their eyes showing a hint of sympathy and envy.
"Alright, stop being so emotional."
Fang Ming pulled out a tissue and handed it to her, his tone still flat. "Hurry up and drink some water. You look worse than a ghost right now. If you faint here, I won't be able to explain it to your brother."
Gu Qinghe took the tissue, wiped the corners of her eyes sheepishly, and then obediently took small sips of water.
The cold liquid flowed down her throat, slightly easing the heat in her body, but only slightly.
The aftereffects of that glass of white liquor had fully kicked in. Combined with a high fever of nearly forty degrees, her vision began to blur severely with double images.
The lights in the booth turned into spinning spots of light in her eyes.
"Since you are Xiao Bai's friend, then this kindness... I will definitely repay it in the future."
Gu Qinghe forced herself to stay alert and tried to stand up. She knew she was about to collapse and had to leave immediately.
"It's too late today, I won't disturb you any further. Another day... another day I will come to thank you in person."
However, the very moment she stood up.
The world spun.
The world before her eyes seemed to twist into a vortex. Her high heels gave way, and she lost her balance.
"Uh..."
Gu Qinghe let out a low moan, her vision went black, and her body fell straight to the side.